U.S. patent application number 12/876219 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-30 for techniques for processing customer service transactions at customer site using mobile computing device.
Invention is credited to Louis H. Borders, Christopher Kantarjiev, Shankar Unni.
Application Number | 20100332402 12/876219 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35452680 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100332402 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kantarjiev; Christopher ; et
al. |
December 30, 2010 |
TECHNIQUES FOR PROCESSING CUSTOMER SERVICE TRANSACTIONS AT CUSTOMER
SITE USING MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE
Abstract
Techniques are described for facilitating delivery and
adjustments of customer orders at a customer delivery site. A
delivery courier is assigned a mobile field computing device for
facilitating delivery and order adjustments of customer orders
associated with that courier's delivery route. The mobile field
computing device includes memory for storing customer order history
data and delivery route data downloaded from a server system. The
delivery route data stored in the mobile field computing device may
be used by the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the
customer orders. Further, the delivery courier may use the mobile
field computing device to process a variety of different order
adjustment transactions at a customer delivery site.
Inventors: |
Kantarjiev; Christopher;
(Palo Alto, CA) ; Unni; Shankar; (Campbell,
CA) ; Borders; Louis H.; (Palo Alto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
IPVENTURE, INC.
5150 EL CAMINO REAL, SUITE A-22
LOS ALTOS
CA
94022
US
|
Family ID: |
35452680 |
Appl. No.: |
12/876219 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11244627 |
Oct 5, 2005 |
7792712 |
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12876219 |
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09568572 |
May 10, 2000 |
6975937 |
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11244627 |
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60133646 |
May 11, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/304 ;
701/532 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/08 20130101;
G06Q 30/0633 20130101; G06Q 20/203 20130101; G06Q 30/016 20130101;
G06Q 40/12 20131203; G06Q 10/087 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/304 ;
701/200 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00; G06Q 10/00 20060101 G06Q010/00; G01C 21/00 20060101
G01C021/00 |
Claims
1. A mobile computing device for use by a delivery courier, said
mobile computing device comprising: a processing unit configured to
control operation of said mobile computing device; a display
configured to present information to the delivery courier; and a
memory configured to store at least programming instructions
executable by said processing unit, said memory storing at least:
programming instructions for accessing customer delivery
information, the customer delivery information including at least
one customer order to be delivered to a customer delivery stop
corresponding to a customer, and customer billing data associated
with the at least one customer order; programming instructions for
presenting at least a portion of the customer delivery information
on said display; and programming instructions for executing an
adjustment transaction to the at least one customer order while at
the customer delivery stop corresponding to the customer, the
adjustment transaction resulting from receiving a request by the
customer, and the adjustment transaction operating to modify at
least a portion of the customer delivery information.
2. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said
mobile computing device further comprises: a wireless interface
configured to wirelessly transmit, to another computing device,
delivery status information corresponding to a status of the
delivery courier on a delivery route, wherein the delivery status
information is generated by said mobile computing device.
3. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at
least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items, and
wherein the adjustment transaction modifies the at least one
customer order by removing at least one of the ordered items from
the at least one customer order.
4. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein at
least a portion of the customer billing data is modified based on
the adjustment transaction, and wherein said memory further stores:
programming instructions for presenting the modified customer
billing data at the customer delivery stop via said display.
5. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 4, wherein the
customer has an account, and wherein the updated customer data
reflects a current balance due on the account of the customer
following the adjustment transaction.
6. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 5, wherein said
mobile computing device comprises: a printer configured to print a
receipt including at least a portion of the updated customer data
at the customer delivery stop.
7. A mobile computing device as recited in of claim 6, wherein the
receipt being printed via said printer is an updated receipt for
the customer based on the updated customer data.
8. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said
memory further stores: program instructions for informing the
delivery courier via said display and based on the customer
delivery information that an identification check for proof of age
is to be performed before delivery of the at least one customer
order is completed.
9. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the
customer delivery information includes delivery route data
corresponding to a delivery route that includes the customer
delivery stop.
10. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 9, wherein said
method stores: programming instructions for presenting on said
display the delivery route data to facilitate delivery of the at
least one customer order to the customer on the delivery route.
11. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said
memory further stores: programming instructions for recording at
least a time related to an arrival time at the customer delivery
stop and/or to a departure time from the customer delivery
stop.
12. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said
memory further stores: programming instructions for recording a
time related to the delivery courier delivering the customer order
to the customer.
13. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at
least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items,
wherein the customer delivery information includes an
identification check required indication if at least one of the
ordered items of the at least one customer order requires an
identification check, and wherein said memory further stores:
programming instructions for informing the delivery courier, via
the mobile computing device, that an identification check regarding
proof of age is to be performed before delivery of the at least one
customer order is completed if the customer delivery data includes
the identification check required indication.
14. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at
least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items, and
wherein said programming instructions for presenting at least a
portion of the customer delivery information comprises programming
instructions for informing the delivery courier if the at least one
customer order being delivered requires successful completion of an
identification check in order for the at least one customer to
receive at least one of the ordered items from the at least one
customer order.
15. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein said
memory further stores: programming instructions for informing the
delivery courier via the mobile computing device that a customer
signature is to be captured, the customer signature acknowledging
delivery of the at least one customer order to the at least one
customer.
16. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 15, wherein said
memory further stores: programming instructions for capturing the
customer signature using the mobile computing device; and
programming instructions for recording a time related to the
customer signature captured.
17. A mobile computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at
least one customer order includes a plurality of ordered items, and
wherein said memory further stores: programming instructions for
processing, at the mobile computing device, a customer return of at
least one of the ordered items of the at least one customer
order.
18. A system for facilitating delivery comprising: at least one
server; and a plurality of mobile computing devices, each of the
mobile computing devices including at least one interface for
communicating with the at least one server, and a memory configured
to store customer delivery data loaded from the at least one
server, wherein each of said mobile computing devices is configured
to assist a delivery courier in delivery of at least one customer
order, which includes at least one ordered item, to at least one
customer using the corresponding customer delivery data, and
wherein each of said mobile computing devices is configured to
assist the delivery courier to execute an adjustment transaction
using said mobile computing device to the at least one customer
order, the adjustment transaction changing at least a portion of
the at least one customer order.
19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the adjustment
transaction executed on said mobile computing device operates to
remove at least one item from the at least one customer order.
20. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein the adjustment
transaction executed on said mobile computing device operates to
add at least one item to the at least one customer order.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No.
11/244,627, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,792,712, entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR
PROCESSING CUSTOMER SERVICE TRANSACTIONS AT CUSTOMER SITE USING
MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE," filed Oct. 5, 2005, the entirety of which
is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/568,572, now
U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,937, entitled "TECHNIQUE FOR PROCESSING
CUSTOMER SERVICE TRANSACTIONS AT CUSTOMER SITE USING MOBILE
COMPUTING DEVICE," filed May 10, 2000, the entirety of which is
incorporated herein by reference for all purposes, which claims
priority under 35 USC 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/133,646, entitled ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ENABLED
DELIVERY SYSTEM AND METHOD, filed May 11, 1999, the entirety of
which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
[0002] The present application also relates to a number of U.S.
patent applications filed in May 2000, including: U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/568,603 for INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR ORDERING,
FULFILLMENT, AND DELIVERY OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS USING A DATA
NETWORK; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/568,570 for INVENTORY
REPLICATION BASED UPON ORDER FULFILLMENT RATES; U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/568,614 for REAL-TIME DISPLAY OF AVAILABLE
PRODUCTS OVER THE INTERNET; U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/568,613 for SCHEDULING DELIVERY OF PRODUCTS VIA THE INTERNET;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/568,823 for LOAD BALANCING
TECHNIQUE IMPLEMENTED IN A DATA NETWORK DEVICE UTILIZING A DATA
CACHE; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/568,569, now U.S. Pat.
No. 6,622,127 B1, for ORDER ALLOCATION TO SELECT FROM INVENTORY
LOCATIONS STOCKING FEW UNITS OF INVENTORY; U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/566,912, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,334 B1, for METHOD AND
APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND TRANSPORTING TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE
ITEMS; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/568,571 for ORDER
ALLOCATION TO MINIMIZE CONTAINER STOPS IN A DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
Each of the disclosures of these copending applications is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] This invention relates to the field of electronic commerce.
In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for
delivering and modifying customer orders for consumer products
using a data network.
[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0006] Companies have been delivering goods to customer homes for
years using many different kinds of delivery systems. Examples run
from mail order catalog shopping to on-line ordering and delivery
services such as those provided by Amazon.com and Peapod.com.
Indeed, the demand for home shopping and home delivery is
increasing. However, many of the conventional systems which provide
home shopping and home delivery services have significant
limitations that prevent their adoption on a large scale basis.
[0007] Using conventional techniques, an on-line product purchasing
transaction will typically include the following steps. First, the
customer selects one or more products to be purchased. Once the
customer has finished selecting the desired product(s), the
customer may then proceed to a check-out or order confirmation
page. During the check-out or order confirmation process, the
customer provides the necessary information for completing the
transaction purchase, such as, for example, the customer's name,
credit card number, shipping address, etc. Before the order is
confirmed by the on-line retailer, (e.g., Amazon.com), the billing
and financial information is verified and processed. For example,
if a credit card is used by the customer to purchase selected
on-line products, a credit card transaction for the total amount of
the purchase will be authorized before the purchase order is
confirmed and fulfilled by the merchant. Once the payment
transaction has been authorized, the on-line merchant typically
fulfills the order by obtaining the purchased products, and
shipping the purchased products the customer's shipping address
using a common carrier (e.g. third-party courier) such as, for
example, UPS, USPS, Federal Express, etc. The customer's credit
card is typically billed at the time of shipment.
[0008] Although conventional on-line product purchasing techniques
provide the convenience of allowing a customer to purchase and
receive a desired product without having to venture outside his or
her home, these techniques suffer from a number of disadvantages.
For example, many on-line merchants provide adequate customer
service relating to on-line product purchases, but typically
provide inadequate customer service for handling returns or
customer complaints. Further, once the customer's order has been
processed, a customer typically does not have the ability to
change, alter, or cancel the order. Rather, the customer must
typically wait until he or she receives the originally ordered
goods, and then must make a subsequent request to the on-line
merchant for returning or modifying at least a part of the order.
This latter request is typically handled as a separate transaction
on the merchant's side, and may involve lengthy delays.
Additionally, if the customer wishes to return one or more
products, the customer is typically required by the merchant to
first obtain a return authorization number (after first submitting
a return request), and typically is responsible for paying shipping
costs for shipping the returned products back to the merchant.
[0009] The following example may help to illustrate some of the
potential problems which a customer may encounter when purchasing
products via on-line retailers or merchants. First, let us assume
that a customer has selected two books for purchase using an
on-line merchant, such as, for example, Amazon.com. When the
customer proceeds to the check-out page, the customer authorizes a
total amount (i.e., for the books, tax, and shipping) to be billed
to his or her credit card. Once the credit card authorization for
the total amount has been received, the merchant fulfills the order
and forwards the order to a common carrier for shipment. The
customer's credit account will be billed at this time for the total
amount specified above.
[0010] After the order has been fulfilled by the merchant, the
customer is typically unable to modify or cancel the order. Thus,
for example, if the customer subsequently wishes to cancel one of
the ordered books after the merchant has fulfilled the order, the
customer must first wait to receive the book, and then submit a
separate request to the on-line merchant for returning the book. It
is worth noting that since the purchased items are typically
shipped using an independent courier service or common carrier such
as UPS, Federal Express, or the U.S. postal service, there is no
mechanism in place whereby the customer is able to return the
undesired product (e.g., book) back to the delivery courier for an
immediate refund. Rather, as is typically the case, the customer
must first obtain a return authorization number from the merchant,
re-package the unwanted product, and ship the unwanted product back
to the merchant. Typically, the customer is required to pay for
shipping charges for returning a product, even if the product was
received in a defective condition.
[0011] Once the returned product is received by the merchant, it is
typically processed within four to six weeks, meaning that a credit
for the returned product may not be issued to the customer until
four weeks after the product has been received by the merchant. In
the example above, a credit, when issued, may appear as a refund or
a credit on the customer's credit card account.
[0012] An additional problem with conventional on-line purchasing
transactions relates to merchandise availability. For example, when
a merchant receives a request for a product return, the merchant is
not able to include the returned product as part of the merchant's
current inventory until the returned product is physically received
at the merchant's site and the return processed, which may take up
to 4 to 6 weeks. Moreover, until the returned order is processed,
the returned merchandise will typically not be included as part of
the inventory made available for customer purchase. This results in
an inefficient allocation of resources.
[0013] In light of the above, there exists a continual need to
improve upon electronic commerce and on-line purchasing and
delivery techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] According to the several embodiments of the present
invention, techniques are described for facilitating delivery and
adjustment of customer orders at one or more customer delivery
sites. According to one embodiment, a delivery courier is assigned
a mobile field computing device for facilitating delivery and order
adjustments of customer orders associated with that courier's
delivery route. The mobile field computing device can include
memory for storing customer order history data and delivery route
data downloaded from a server system. The delivery route data
stored in the mobile field computing device may be used by the
delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the customer orders.
Further, the delivery courier may use the mobile field computing
device to process a variety of different order adjustment
transactions at a customer delivery site.
[0015] Additional objects, features and advantages of the various
aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the
following description of its preferred embodiments, which
description should be taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an integrated
system architecture in accordance with a specific embodiment of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 1A shows a schematic block diagram of a system which
may be used for processing customer service transactions at the
customer site in accordance with a specific embodiment of the
present invention.
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of an MFD Download Procedure in
accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of an MFD Field Processing
Procedure 300 in accordance with a specific embodiment of the
present invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of an MFD Upload Procedure in
accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of the
present invention, illustrating various data flows which may occur
between an MFD Client, and MFD Server, and a Webstore Data Base of
FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a mobile computing device
(MFD) in accordance with a specific embodiment of present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The technique of the present invention provides a solution
for facilitating delivery and adjustments of customer orders which
may be performed by a delivery courier at a customer delivery site.
According to at least one embodiment, each delivery courier is
assigned a mobile field computing device (MFD Client) for
facilitating delivery and order adjustments of customer orders
associated with that courier's delivery route. Before being
dispatched to commence his or her delivery run, the delivery
courier may download customer order history data and delivery route
data from an MFD Server into the courier's MFD Client device. The
delivery route data stored in the MFD Client device may be used by
the delivery courier to facilitate delivery of the customer orders.
Further, the delivery courier may use the MFD Client device to
process a variety of different order adjustment transactions (e.g.
customer returns, order modifications, fees, credits, etc.) at a
customer delivery site. The MFD Client device may be configured to
use the stored customer order history data to process the order
adjustment transactions. Additionally, the MFD Client device may
further be configured to compute updated customer billing data
based upon the processed order adjustment transactions. A modified
receipt which includes the updated customer billing data may then
be provided to the customer. In this way, the customer will know,
at the time of delivery, all charges for which the customer will be
billed and/or credited. Additionally the technique of the present
invention may be used to track the status of customer orders and
delivery resources such as, for example, delivery couriers and/or
delivery vehicles.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram illustrating various
systems, subsystems and/or components of the integrated system
architecture 100 in accordance with a specific embodiment of the
present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 includes a
plurality of subsystems and other components for effecting
electronic commerce over a data network. A brief description of at
least a portion of the plurality of subsystems of system 100 is
presented below. For example, system 100 of FIG. 1 may include:
[0025] (1) a Webstore Subsystem (WS) 132 which manages the on-line
store interface with customers, including customer shopping and
ordering transactions;
[0026] (2) a Transportation Subsystem (XPS) 124 which manages
delivery window scheduling, delivery vehicle routing, capacity
planning, and mobile field device (MFD) data used by delivery
couriers;
[0027] (3) an Order Management Subsystem (OMS) 150 which manages
pricing data, item availability data, inventory data, vendor data,
finance, procurement, etc;
[0028] (4) an Order Fulfillment Subsystem (OFS) 160 which
facilitates the fulfillment of customer orders and manages the
distribution center (170) operations;
[0029] (5) a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Subsystem 126
for enabling customer service representatives (CSRs) 143 to service
customer requests and track customer interaction; etc.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 may include at least a
portion of the above-described subsystems. Additionally, each
subsystem may also comprise at least one server and/or other
components. Further, each subsystem may be configured to utilize a
dedicated or shared database server as its persistent and
transactional data backbone. Users or customers may access data
stored on one of the subsystem's database servers (e.g. Webstore
database), which then executes appropriate business logic and/or
business objects.
[0031] Each subsystem may be configured or designed to communicate
with each other via a plurality of interfaces. According to a
specific embodiment, the plurality of interfaces includes both
synchronous and asynchronous interfaces. Many of the various system
interfaces are configured to be asynchronous, wherein data is
typically transferred in batch mode via staging (e.g. database)
tables or flat files (e.g., separated value files). However, at
least a portion of the system interfaces are configured as
synchronous interfaces. Generally, a synchronous interface may be
used where an immediate response from a server or component is
required. Synchronous interfaces in the system 100 of FIG. 1 may
exist between the WS 132 and Tax Server 114, and MFD Server 112 and
Tax Server 114, for example.
[0032] Conceptually, the system 100 of FIG. 1 may be grouped into
two general subsystems, namely a Front Office system and a Back
Office system. The Front Office system is generally responsible for
functions related to customer transactions such as, for example,
customer orders, billing transactions, delivery scheduling,
customer service, etc. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, for example,
the Front Office system 130 comprises the Webstore Subsystem 132,
Transportation Subsystem 124, and Customer Relationship Management
Subsystem 126. The Front Office system 130 may also include other
subsystems or components such as, for example, a Mobile Field
Device (MFD) Server 112, a tax component 114, a credit or debit
card billing component 116, a Help Desk component 144, etc. The
above-described subsystems and components of Front Office 130 are
described in greater detail below.
[0033] Additionally, the Front Office system 130 may include a
centralized database 131 which may be accessed by subsystems and/or
components of system 100. Alternatively, one or more of the Front
Office systems and/or components may each comprise a respective
database which is accessible by other subsystems and/or components
of system 100.
[0034] The Back Office system generally includes all subsystems
and/or components which are not part of the Front Office system.
Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the Back Office system
includes the OMS 150 and OFS 160 subsystems. However, the invention
is not limited to the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and it
will be appreciated that the specific configuration of system 100
may be modified by one having ordinary skill in the art to suit
specific applications.
Subsystem Functionality
[0035] This section provides a more detailed description of the
various subsystems and components which form the integrated system
architecture of the present invention, as shown, for example, in
FIG. 1 of the drawings.
Front Office Architectural Layers
[0036] As shown in FIG. 1, the Front Office system 130 comprises a
plurality of separate subsystems such as, for example, Webstore
Subsystem (WS) 132, Transportation Subsystem (XPS) 124, and
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Subsystem 126. Each
subsystem may be implemented via a combination of hardware and/or
software, and further may include a plurality of different
functional components, modules, and/or plug-in applications.
[0037] At least a portion of the software residing at the Front
Office system may include a presentation layer, an application
layer, a business object layer, a database access layer, or any
combination thereof. According to a specific embodiment, the
presentation layer handles the actual presentation of information
to users via an appropriate medium. The application layer, which
may be stateless, handles the appropriate application logic for the
various subsystems of the Front Office. For example, in the
Webstore Subsystem 132, it is the application layer (referred to as
the shopping engine) which determines that a customer cannot check
out an order unless the customer has selected a delivery window, or
provided billing information. The business object layer, which may
be stateful, provides objects with a fixed set of functionality
(e.g. methods or procedures) that may be manipulated by the
application layer. The business object layer may also implement
write through caching of data. According to a specific embodiment,
the business objects do not know about each other, and the
application layer handles the coordination between the various
business objects. The database access layer provides connectivity
and data access APIs to the Front Office database 131 (also
referred to as the Webstore database). According to a specific
embodiment, the database access layer performs pooling and caching
of connection objects, where appropriate.
[0038] It is also important for a common database schema to be
adopted by each of the Front Office systems. According to a
specific embodiment, the database 131 is implemented as a shared
database which may be accessed by each of the Front Office
systems.
Webstore Subsystem (WS)
[0039] The Webstore Subsystem (WS) 132 provides an interface for
enabling customers 102 to access the on-line store (e.g. Webstore).
In a specific embodiment where the Webstore is implemented as a
website on the World Wide Web, customers may access the Webstore
via the Internet or World Wide Web using any one of a plurality of
conventional browsers. The Webstore user interface may be designed
to provide a rich set of functions without requiring any special
browser plug-ins. Thus, according to a specific embodiment,
customers may access the Webstore using any client machine,
regardless of the machine's operating system platform.
Additionally, for security purposes, the Webstore interface also
supports data encryption for exchange of any sensitive or private
information between the customers and the website. According to a
specific embodiment, the secure Webstore interface is implemented
using a secure http protocol (HTTPS), commonly known to those of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0040] In accordance with a specific embodiment, the Webstore
Subsystem 132 supports a number of customer related features such
as, for example, self registration; accessing of customer account
information; browsing of product categories and category hierarchy;
viewing of product images and product information; keyword
searches; delivery scheduling; accessing of customer order history;
customizable shopping lists; on-line shopping and ordering;
etc.
[0041] The Webstore Subsystem (referred to as the Webstore) may be
implemented using at least one server which is connected to the
data network. According to a specific embodiment, the Webstore is
implemented using a plurality of web servers (e.g. web server farm)
which helps to minimize server response time and provide real-time
failover and redundancy capabilities. Further, according to a
specific embodiment, in order to keep the web server response time
to a minimum, the Webstore may be configured such that all
processing is performed on a single server, within one process.
Where a plurality of Webstore servers are used, redundant
processing may be performed by at least a portion of the servers so
that a single Webstore server may handle all Webstore processing
tasks associated with a particular on-line customer. It will be
appreciated that the Webstore server boundaries may be crossed
where appropriate, such as, for example, when accessing the Front
Office database via the data network.
[0042] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1, the Front Office system
may include a number of integrated components which provide
additional functionality. For example, the WS may include a
plurality of components which provide additional functionality such
as, for example, computation of taxes, search capability, credit
card billing, etc. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the WS
132 includes a tax computation component 114 for computing taxes
for each order line item that is sold, and a credit (or debit) card
server (CC) component 116 for handling credit and/or debit card
authorizations and funds captures. According to at least one
embodiment, one or more of these components may be implemented as
an asynchronous process in order to reduce or minimize impact on
the Webstore server's response time and availability.
Transportation Subsystem (XPS)
[0043] The Transportation Subsystem (XPS) 124 generally handles
delivery window scheduling, delivery vehicle routing, capacity
planning, and mobile field device programming used by delivery
couriers. Accordingly, the Transportation Subsystem may be
configured to provide the following functional features: (1)
delivery scheduling, and delivery window reservation; (2)
deliveries to customer site with appropriate billing actions and
processing, including processing of adjustments, credits, and
returns; and (3) adjusting delivery operation parameters such as,
for example, truck route plans, delivery vehicle usage, service
duration, parking time, delivery courier scheduling, data to be
downloaded into MFDs, etc.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the Transportation
Subsystem 124 may comprise a plurality of components and/or other
subsystems including MFD Server(s) 112, mobile field client devices
(MFD Clients) 106, and delivery couriers 110. In alternate
embodiments, at least a portion of these components such as, for
example, the MFD Server 112, may be implemented as a separate
subsystem and may reside external to the Transportation
Subsystem.
[0045] One function of the Transportation Subsystem is to generate
a list of available delivery windows (for presentation to the
customer) based upon transportation capacity data such as, for
example, the number of couriers available, the number of delivery
vehicles available, the number of orders for a particular day,
truck routes, etc.
Dispatch Subsystem (DS)
[0046] According to at least one embodiment, the Transportation
Subsystem may include a Dispatch Subsystem 107 for allowing
real-time access to the state and/or status of delivery couriers
and delivery vehicle resources. Using the Dispatch Subsystem,
dispatchers may communicate with delivery couriers that are
en-route, and may also use the Dispatch Subsystem to provide
real-time re-scheduling of delivery routes. According to a specific
embodiment, the Dispatch Subsystem may be implemented via the MFD
Subsystem (described in greater detail below).
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Subsystem
[0047] The Customer Relationship Management Subsystem 126 is an
interactive application which may be used by customer service
representatives (CSRs) 143 to manage customer service requests and
to track customer interaction. The functionality provided by the
CRM subsystem may include, for example, accessing customer
information; issuing credits for various customer issues (e.g.
complaints, returns, damaged goods, etc.); handling work flow for
processing customer issues; etc. The CRM subsystem provides CSRs
(sometimes referred to as customer service operators--CSOs) with
the ability to access, view, and edit customer information in
accordance with customer requests by customers 102.
[0048] The general architecture of the CRM Subsystem is similar to
that of the Webstore Subsystem. For example, in a specific
embodiment, the CRM subsystem may use the same application,
business object, and database access layers which is used by the
Webstore Subsystem.
[0049] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the CRM subsystem
comprises a Help Desk component 144. In a specific implementation,
the Help Desk component is implemented using the Remedy software
package, manufactured by Remedy Corp., of Mountain View, Calif. The
Help Desk component manages any workflow for handling specific
customer requests or issues. For example, the Webstore and
Transportation Subsystems may generate trouble tickets for various
events such as, for example, failed credit card authorizations or
customer-reported shorts in delivery. The CSRs process these
trouble tickets via the Help Desk component 144 of the CRM
subsystem. Utilizing the Help Desk component, the CSRs are able to
initiate and track any customer contact relating to the processed
trouble tickets. The CSRs may access the Help Desk component 144
via a Help Desk GUI 142.
[0050] According to a specific embodiment, the Help Desk component
includes a database 145 for managing customer service requests
and/or issues. Alternatively, the Help Desk component may be
configured to share the Front Office database 131.
Order Management Subsystem (OMS)
[0051] The Order Management Subsystem (OMS) 150 manages a variety
of aspects related to the integrated system architecture of the
present invention, including, for example, pricing, availability,
inventory, vendors, financials, procurement, and data flows between
various subsystems. As shown in FIG. 1, the OMS subsystem 150
includes graphical user interface 152, and at least one database
151 for storing various data received from at least a portion of
the other subsystems.
[0052] The Order Management Subsystem is also configured to include
appropriate software and/or hardware for managing financial and
distribution applications. According to a specific embodiment, the
financial and distribution software is provided by PeopleSoft
Corporation of Pleasanton, Calif. Additionally, the financial and
distribution application software may include a plurality of
components such as, for example, a user interface used for inquiry
and on-line transaction entry, batch processes used for background
processing of data, reports, etc.
[0053] The OMS batch processing may be controlled using a process
scheduler. The process scheduler is able to manage the number of
concurrent processes being run and the date/time at which certain
processes are to run or be executed. The process scheduler may also
enable central visibility of all processes currently running. Batch
processing and reporting may be accomplished using a variety of
different technologies commonly known to one having ordinary skill
in the art.
[0054] The Order Management Subsystem may be configured to support
both asynchronous and synchronous interfaces with the other
subsystems. In a specific embodiment, the OMS is configured to
support an asynchronous interface with each of the other
subsystems. Additionally, each OMS interface is configurable, and
may be configured to support the running of batch processes as
often as is desirable.
Order Fulfillment Subsystem (OFS)
[0055] The Order Fulfillment Subsystem 160 manages all
functionality of the area distribution center (DC) 170. In the
embodiment of FIG. 1, the OFS includes appropriate hardware and/or
software for managing the DC facility 170, including, for example,
a warehouse management system (e.g. software application), and at
least one database 161. The warehouse management subsystem may also
provide the interface for allowing the OMS subsystem to communicate
with the OFS database 161.
Mobile Field Device (MFD) Subsystem
[0056] Although the MFD Server 112 may conceptually be grouped with
the Transportation Subsystem, in a specific embodiment, the MFD
Server component 112 may configured to include at least one
back-end server which resides in a particular area data center.
Thus, different areas may be serviced by different MFD Servers.
Moreover, each zone in a particular area may serviced from a
station which may be connected to the area data center via the data
network. Each MFD Client 106 may communicate with an area MFD
Server 112 via the data network, and download and/or upload various
types of information, including, for example, customer order
history information, delivery information (e.g. vehicle delivery
routes, stops, etc.), customer returns information, credits,
adjustments, etc.
[0057] According to a specific implementation, each delivery
courier carries an MFD Client while making his or her delivery run
to the customer sites. During delivery, the MFD Client 106 may be
configured to provide the delivery courier with delivery route
information, including delivery routes and stops. Additionally, the
MFD Client may also be configured to verify delivered items upon
delivery. Further, using the MFD, the delivery courier is able to
immediately process a variety of customer service requests at the
customer site (e.g. at the time of delivery to the customer), such
as, for example, order modifications, customer returns, billing
adjustments, inventory adjustments, credits, etc. According to a
specific embodiment, the MFD Client is able to process these
various customer service requests using data stored within the
device, which has been downloaded into the MFD unit prior to the
delivery. Thus, according to this embodiment, the MFD Client does
not communicate with the MFD Server while processing the customer
service requests at the delivery site. Alternatively, however, the
MFD Client may be configured to communicate with the area MFD
Server during processing of the customer service request using any
one of a number of standard mobile communication techniques such
as, for example, RF data systems, cellular data systems, etc. In
this latter embodiment, the MFD Client may also be configured to
allow processing of customer service requests, even at times when
the MFD Client is temporarily unable to communicate with the MFD
Server. To accomplish this, the customer MFD data is previously
downloaded into the MFD Client at a time when the MFD Client is
able to communicate with the MFD Server.
[0058] After the MFD has processed all appropriate transactions at
the customer delivery site (including verification of current
ordered items received by the customer), the MFD may also be
configured or designed to provide the customer with an adjusted
billing receipt (i.e. zero balance receipt), showing a total amount
to be billed which takes into account any billing adjustments
related to any processed returns, credits, adjustments, etc.
[0059] After completing deliveries on the delivery route, the
courier, upon returning to the station, may connect the MFD Client
106 to the MFD Server 112, and upload all of the processed field
transactions into the area data center, where it is then processed
and stored in the Front Office database 131. The uploaded MFD data
may also include the times at which the delivery events
occurred.
[0060] According to a specific embodiment, the customer is not
billed for the delivered order until after the order has been
delivered and the MFD data relating to the delivery has been
received at the Front Office system. The customer will then be
billed for the adjusted total amount to be billed, indicated on the
adjusted billing receipt (which was presented to the customer at
the time of delivery). In this way, the customer will know, at the
time of delivery, all charges for which the customer will be
billed.
[0061] FIG. 1A shows a block diagram of a portion of the system 100
of FIG. 1, which includes an MFD Server 112, a plurality of MFD
Clients 106, and a plurality of delivery couriers 110. As described
previously, the MFD Server 112 may be configured to include at
least one back-end server which resides in a particular area data
center. Thus, for example, according to one embodiment, the MFD
Server 112 physically resides at the Front Office Subsystem 130
(FIG. 1).
[0062] According to a specific embodiment, a logical MFD Server may
be implemented to handle the back-end transactions processed by the
mobile field devices (MFDs) assigned to a specific distribution
area. Thus, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1A, MFD Server
112 may handle all MFD transactions associated with a specific area
distribution center (e.g., area DC 170, FIG. 1). In one embodiment,
each area distribution center may service one or more local
cross-dock stations in that area. Each cross-dock station (herein
referred to as "station") provides local service to customers
residing in designated delivery zones. Customer orders which are
fulfilled by the distribution center (170, FIG. 1) may be
off-loaded to an appropriate station where the order may then be
delivered to the customer using a local delivery vehicle and
courier 110. For example, referring to FIG. 1A, couriers 1 and 2
(110a, 110b) may be associated with a first station, and courier N
(110n) may be associated with a second station. Each of the
plurality of couriers 110 is assigned a respective delivery route.
Additionally, each of the plurality of couriers is assigned a
respective mobile field device (MFD) (also referred to as an MFD
Client) for processing customer service transactions that take
place on that courier's delivery route. Thus, in this example, MFD
Server 112 will be configured to handle the back-end transactions
for all MFD Clients 106 within a designated distribution area.
According to a specific implementation, the MFD Server 112 may be
deployed using a plurality of servers that have been configured to
operate on a networking platform such as, for example, Windows NT,
Unix, etc. Together, the plurality of servers may form the logical
MFD Server 112 of FIG. 1A.
[0063] The plurality of MFD Clients (106a, 106b, 106n) of FIG. 1A
correspond to mobile computing devices which are used by the
plurality of couriers 110 to process transactions at the customers'
delivery site. Each MFD Client may be configured to run on a
variety of different operating systems such as, for example, DOS,
PALM 0/S, etc. According to one implementation, an MFD Client may
be implemented using a mobile computing device such as the PC-based
Telxon 1124 device manufactured by Telxon Corporation of Akron,
Ohio. According to an alternate embodiment, the MFD Client may be
implemented using a PDA-type device such as the Symbol SPT 1700,
manufactured by Symbol Technologies of Holtsville, N.Y.
[0064] Generally, the MFD Client and Server devices of the present
invention may be implemented via software and/or hardware. A
software or software/hardware hybrid MFD Server system of this
invention is preferably implemented on a general-purpose
programmable machine selectively activated or reconfigured by a
computer program stored in memory. Further, the MFD Server may have
multiple network interfaces for communicating with MFD Clients via
a local or wide area network. In an alternative embodiment, the MFD
Server system may be implemented on a general-purpose network host
machine such as a personal computer or workstation. According to a
specific implementation, the MFD Server may be configured to
simultaneously communicate with multiple MFD Clients. Further, the
invention may be at least partially implemented on a card (e.g., an
interface card) for a network device or a general-purpose computing
device.
[0065] Similarly, each MFD Client may be implemented using a
software/hardware hybrid mobile computing device such as, for
example, the handheld computing devices described previously.
Referring to FIG. 6, a specific implementation of a mobile
computing device 60 is shown which is suitable for implementing the
MFD Client device of present invention. As shown in the
implementation of FIG. 6, the MFD Client device 60 includes a
master central processing unit (CPU) 62, one or more interfaces 68,
and a bus 67 (e.g., a PCI bus). When acting under the control of
appropriate software or firmware, the CPU 62 is responsible for
such tasks as generating and recording time stamps, storing and
displaying of delivery route information, storing and displaying
customer order history, processing customer service field
transactions, etc. The CPU preferably accomplishes all these
functions under the control of software including an operating
system and any appropriate applications software. CPU 62 may
include one or more processors 63 such as a processor from the
Motorola family of microprocessors or the Intel family of
microprocessors. In an alternative embodiment, processor 63 is
specially designed hardware for controlling the operations of the
MFD Client device 60. In a specific embodiment, a memory 61 (such
as non-volatile RAM and/or ROM) also forms part of CPU 62. However,
there are many different ways in which memory could be coupled to
the system. Memory block 61 may be used for a variety of purposes
such as, for example, caching and/or storing data, programming
instructions, etc.
[0066] Each MFD may also include a scanner (not shown) which may be
used, for example, to scan bar codes or UPC codes. Further, as
shown in FIG. 6, each MFD Client may include at least one interface
68 for communicating with the MFD Server 112. According to one
implementation, the MFD Client may be configured to communicate
with the MFD Server using a docking cradle which is connected to
the MFD Server via a local or wide area network. Each station may
be provided with a plurality of docking cradles for simultaneously
connecting multiple MFDs to the MFD Server 112. Alternatively,
according to a different implementation, the MFD Client 106a may be
configured to include a wireless LAN transceiver for communicating
with the MFD Server. In a specific embodiment, each station may be
provided with one or more transponders for communicating with MFDs
using a wireless protocol. Each transponder may be configured to
communicate with the MFD Server via a local or wide area
network.
[0067] According to a specific embodiment, the MFD Client 60 may be
implemented on a PDA device such as, for example, a device similar
to the well-known Palm series of PDA devices manufactured by Palm,
Inc., of San Jose, Calif. In this embodiment, the MFD Client may be
configured to run on a Palm OS platform licensed by Palm, Inc.
According to a specific implementation, a synchronization mechanism
may be used to transfer data between the MFD Server and the MFD
Client in a manner similar to the way data is transferred between a
Palm device and a desk top computer using Palm's HotSync manager
software. For example, a client synchronization program running on
the MFD Client may serve as the MFD Client agent, and a server
software program running on the MFD Server may serve as the server
agent. According to a specific implementation, the server and
client synchronization software may be implemented using software
provided by Aether Software, of Vienna, Va. Further, according to a
specific implementation, synchronization may be achieved using a
TCP/IP based protocol.
[0068] The MFD Client may be configured or designed to perform a
variety of different functions and may also be configured or
designed to retrieve, generate, and/or store a variety of different
data relating to one or more customer orders. For example, the MFD
Client may be configured to process, at a customer delivery site,
transactions relating to a current and/or previous customer orders,
and may further be configured to process such transactions in the
absence of a communication link between the MFD Client and the MFD
Server. Thus, for example, according to a specific implementation,
each MFD Client may be configured or designed to process in-field
transactions relating to customer returns, customer order shorts,
credits (e.g., credit for late delivery), fees (e.g., re-delivery
fee), tote deposits/returns, tote verification, customer ID
verification, ID checks (e.g., for tobacco/alcohol), coupons and/or
promotional offers, signature capture, printing of zero-balance
receipts, printing of Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) slips,
etc.
[0069] Additionally, each MFD Client may be configured or designed
to store various types of data which may include, for example,
customer delivery addresses, customer notes and/or instructions,
delivery time information, deliver route and/or map information,
customer order history, etc. The MFD data downloaded to the MFD
Client may also include pre-defined reason codes which may be
accessed by the delivery courier to provide an explanation for an
adjustment transaction that is processed at the customer delivery
site.
[0070] Customer notes or instructions stored on an MFD Client may
include notes from delivery couriers, notes from customer service
representatives, and may also include notes from the customer (e.g.
special delivery instructions) which may be entered by the customer
via the Internet. According to a specific embodiment, the MFD
Client may be configured to retrieve and store customer order
history data for selected customers on the delivery route. The
customer order history may include current order information, as
well as past order history information (e.g., within the last 30
days). The customer order information may include, for example, a
price paid for each item as ordered, a quantity of each item
ordered, a date that the item was ordered and/or delivered, a SKU
number associated with each ordered item, a bar code ID associated
with each ordered item, and a tax amount (if any) which was paid
for each ordered item. According to a specific embodiment, the MFD
Client includes a display which may be used for displaying data
stored in the memory of the MFD Client. In one implementation, the
customer order history information stored in the MFD Client may be
sorted using a variety of different criteria such as, for example,
by customer order, by date, by SKU, etc.
[0071] Further, for processing customer returns, the MFD Client may
be configured to differentiate between returned goods which are to
be returned to the distribution center (DC) for restocking (for
which an RMA slip or "chit" will be printed), and returned goods
which are to be scrapped or thrown away (for which no RMA slip will
be printed).
[0072] The MFD Client and Server devices of the present invention
may also employ one or more memories or memory modules (such as,
for example, memory block 65) configured to store data, program
instructions for the MFD data transactions described herein, etc.
The program instructions may control the operation of an operating
system and/or one or more applications, for example. The memory or
memories may also be configured to store the various types of MFD
data described in this application, such as for example, customer
delivery addresses, customer notes and/or instructions, delivery
time information, deliver route and/or map information, customer
order history data, etc.
[0073] Because such information and program instructions may be
employed to implement the systems/methods described herein, the
present invention relates to machine readable media that include
program instructions, state information, etc. for performing
various operations described herein. Examples of machine-readable
media include, but are not limited to, magnetic media such as hard
disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as
CD-ROM disks; magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and
hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform
program instructions, such as read-only memory devices (ROM) and
random access memory (RAM). The invention may also be embodied in a
carrier wave travelling over an appropriate medium such as
airwaves, optical lines, electric lines, etc. Examples of program
instructions include both machine code, such as produced by a
compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be
executed by the computer using an interpreter.
[0074] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a MFD Download Procedure 200
in accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention.
The MFD Download Procedure 200 may be initiated, for example, by a
delivery courier before departing the station to deliver orders to
customers on the courier's delivery route. In the example of FIG.
2, it is assumed that each delivery courier at a particular station
has been assigned a respective delivery route. At 202, the delivery
courier selects a MFD Client device (herein referred to as "MFD
Client") to receive downloaded MFD data from the MFD Server.
According to one embodiment, each delivery courier may be assigned
a specific MFD Client for a specified time period.
[0075] After the delivery courier has selected or been assigned a
specific MFD Client at the cross-dock station, the delivery courier
activates the MFD Client in order to establish (204) a connection
with the MFD Server. In one embodiment, the delivery courier places
the MFD Client into a cradle which provides a connection to the MFD
Server. According to an alternate embodiment, the delivery courier
simply depresses a key or switch on the MFD Client to cause the
device to establish a wireless connection with the MFD Server 112.
At 206, the delivery courier enters (206) login information and a
route ID corresponding to that delivery courier's assigned delivery
route. Once the login and route ID data has been verified by the
MFD Server, the MFD Server retrieves MFD data relating to the
identified route ID, and downloads (208) the appropriate MFD data
into the memory of the MFD Client. The various data flows which may
occur between the MFD Client and MFD Server during the MFD Download
Procedure 200 are described in greater detail with respect to FIG.
5 of the drawings.
[0076] After the appropriate MFD data has been downloaded into the
courier's MFD Client, the courier then verifies (210) the
deliverable totes for that courier's delivery route. According to a
specific embodiment, the delivery tote verification may be
accomplished using the MFD Client to scan the bar-coded license
plates of all delivery totes at the station which have been
assigned to the delivery courier. The MFD Client may be used to
verify that all delivery totes are accounted for before the courier
is dispatched from the station. If all deliverable totes are not
accounted for, the MFD Client may display to the delivery courier
the IDs of the missing totes. In the event that the missing totes
are not to be found at the cross-dock station, the items from the
missing totes will be processed as shorts for the associated
customer order(s). After verifying the deliverable totes associated
with his or her delivery route, the delivery courier may then be
dispatched (212) from the station to deliver the totes to the
awaiting customers.
[0077] According to a specific embodiment, each delivery route
includes a plurality of stops which correspond to specific customer
delivery addresses. Further, each stop in the delivery route may
correspond to a specific customer order.
[0078] FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of an MFD Field Processing
Procedure 300, in accordance with a specific embodiment of the
present invention. The MFD Field Processing Procedure 300 may be
initiated at each stop on a courier's delivery route. At 302, the
delivery courier arrives at a delivery stop corresponding to a
specific customer order, and notes the arrival time. According to a
specific embodiment, when the delivery courier arrives at a
specific delivery stop, the courier depresses a key on the MFD
Client, which causes the MFD Client to record the arrival time of
the courier at the specified stop. The delivery courier may then
unload and scan (304) the appropriate totes for customer order
associated with that delivery site. Each tote may be scanned using
the MFD Client. Once the appropriate totes have been scanned, the
MFD Client may determine (306) whether any totes are missing from
the customer order. If it is determined that one or more totes are
missing from the customer order, the MFD Client adds (308) the
items associated with the missing totes to a missing item list
associated with that customer order.
[0079] At 310, a determination is made as to whether the totes are
deliverable to the customer. According to a specific
implementation, the customer may authorize an "unattended
delivery," wherein the delivery courier may deliver the ordered
item without obtaining the customer's signature. However, in the
event that the customer signature is required for delivery of the
order, and no one is available to sign for the delivery, the order
will be reported (312) as undeliverable. When the delivery courier
determines that an order is undeliverable, the courier may enter
this information into the MFD Client, along with selected reason
code(s). According to a specific embodiment, the MFD Client may
then automatically assess a re-delivery fee for the customer order.
It will be appreciated that the procedural elements of blocks 310
and 312 may occur before the delivery courier unloads the
appropriate totes from the delivery truck.
[0080] Assuming that the customer order totes are deliverable, at
314, the MFD Client determines whether an ID check is required for
at least a portion of the ordered items. As stated previously, an
ID check may be required for ordered items such as tobacco or
alcohol. If an ID check is required, the MFD Client may instruct a
courier to verify information on the customer's ID. For example, an
order includes a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol,
where the minimum smoking age is 18, and the minimum drinking age
is 21, the MFD Client may instruct the delivery courier to verify
that the customer is at least 18 to receive the carton of
cigarettes, and may further instruct the courier to verify that the
customer is at least 21 to receive the ordered bottle of alcohol.
At 316, the delivery courier performs the ID verification. If, for
any reason, the delivery courier determines that the ID
verification has failed (e.g., improper ID, under age, etc.) then,
at 318, the restricted items for which the ID check failed are
retained by the delivery courier. Additionally, at 318, the MFD
Client may process the undelivered, restricted items as a customer
return.
[0081] At 320, the courier delivers the totes to the customer.
According to a specific embodiment, as each tote is scanned by the
courier using the MFD Client. The MFD Client then adds a separate
tote deposit fee to the customer order. After the totes have been
delivered to the customer, the courier is able to process (322,
324) any adjustments or customer service transactions using the MFD
Client. According to at least one embodiment, the MFD Client may be
used to process customer service transactions (e.g. adjustments) at
any time while the delivery courier is at the customer delivery
site. As stated previously, the adjustments which may be processed
(324) using the MFD Client may include item returns, shorts,
credits, fees, tote deposits/returns, coupons, etc.
[0082] For example, a customer may wish to return a container of
milk which was purchased in an order that was delivered 2 weeks
previously. According to a first implementation, the delivery
courier may use the MFD Client to process (324) the returned item
by scanning the item's bar code or UPC code. During this
processing, the MFD Client may compare the scanned UPC code against
a list of UPC codes included in that customer's downloaded order
history (which, for example, may include all ordered items within
the past 30 days). When a UPC code match is found in the customer
order history, the price which the customer paid for the item in
the original order is immediately credited back to the customer.
Additionally, any tax which the customer paid on the item is also
credited back to the customer. If more than one UPC code match is
found (meaning that more than one container of milk was purchased
by the customer within the last 30 days), the customer order
history information relating to the matched UPC codes can be
displayed to the courier, and the courier may then select the
appropriate matched item to ensure proper processing of the
customer return. Alternatively, according to a different
embodiment, the delivery courier may scroll through a list of
previous ordered items using the MFD Client. The items may be
sorted, for example, by order number. When the delivery courier
encounters the entry for the previously ordered item which is being
returned, the courier may then select that item to thereby cause
the MFD Client to process (324) the selected item as a customer
return. The courier may also enter one or more pre-defined reason
codes to help explain why the customer is returning the item. In
this example, the container of milk may be classified as a
"scrapped" good, meaning that it will be disposed of rather than
being returned to the distribution center for re-sale. Accordingly,
the MFD Client need not generate an RMA slip for the returned
container of milk.
[0083] Using a different example, it will now be assumed that the
customer desires to return 2 unopened boxes of breakfast cereal
which were originally purchased as part of a 4-pack. Like the
example above, the delivery courier may use the MFD Client to
process (324) the return transaction(s) for the 2 unopened boxes of
cereal. However, in this example, the customer will be credited for
a pro-rated amount of the original purchase. Thus, for example, if
the customer order history data in the MFD Client indicates that
the customer originally paid $8.00 for the 4-pack of cereal, the
customer would be credited one-half of that amount, or $4.00 for
the returned items. Additionally, the customer will be credited a
pro-rated amount of tax which the customer paid in the original
order. Thus, for example, if the customer originally paid $1.00 in
tax for the purchase of the 4-pack of cereal, the customer will be
credited $0.50, which represents the tax value of the returned
merchandise. Furthermore, since the returned boxes of cereal may be
returned to the distribution center for re-sale, the MFD Client
will generate a RMA slip for the returned boxes of cereal.
According to a specific implementation, the MFD Client will add the
2 boxes of cereal to an RMA list associated with the customer order
being delivered.
[0084] Each time an adjustment and/or customer service transaction
is processed by the MFD Client, the MFD Client calculates (326)
updated billing data for the customer order which is being
delivered. The updated billing data may be referred to as zero
balance billing data, which corresponds to updated customer billing
data that reflects the current balance in the customer's account,
after taking into account all processed transactions at the
customer site using the MFD Client. Thus, for example, the zero
balance billing data may include billing data relating to the
customer order as well as all transactions processed by the MFD
Client for that customer. Moreover, according to at least one
embodiment, the net payment amount reflected in the zero balance
billing data will be the exact amount which the customer will be
charged or credited. In this way, the customer will know, at the
time of delivery, all charges and credits for which the customer
will be billed and/or credited. This feature is advantageous in
that it provides the customer peace-of-mind in knowing that no
additional charges will appear on the customer's bill or credit
card after the delivery courier returns to the station.
[0085] Once the MFD Client has processed all desired customer
transactions and calculated the updated zero balance billing data,
a final receipt is printed (328) which includes the updated zero
balance billing data. According to a specific implementation, the
final receipt will show all credits, returns, fees, and other
adjustments processed at the customer site, and will additionally
show a revised total amount to be billed to the customer. The
courier then captures (330) the customer signature on the MFD
Client. At the same time, the MFD Client may record the time at
which the customer signature is captured. At 332, the delivery
courier uses the MFD Client to print a RMA slip for any returned
items which are to be returned to the distribution center for
re-stocking, and affixes the RMA slip to the tote which contains
the returned goods. At this point, the delivery of the customer
order has been completed, and the delivery courier may depart to
the next delivery stop.
[0086] However, at any time before the delivery courier leaves the
current delivery stop, the customer may request additional
adjustments to be processed such as, for example, additional
returns, credits, shorts, etc. In response, the delivery courier
may use the MFD Client to process the additional transactions in
the same manner described above. Thereafter, a new final receipt
with updated zero balance billing data will be printed and
delivered to the customer, and a new signature of the customer will
be captured. Additionally, a new RMA slip may be printed which will
include any additional items to be returned to the distribution
center.
[0087] At 334, the delivery courier leaves the current delivery
stop and notes the departure time. According to a specific
embodiment, the delivery courier may depress one or more keys or
buttons on the MFD Client to retrieve the next delivery stop
information. At that time, the MFD Client may note the current time
and record the current time value as the departure time from the
current delivery stop. When the courier arrives at the next
delivery stop, the MFD Field Processing Procedure 300 may be
repeated as described above.
[0088] After the delivery courier has completed delivery to all
stops on his or her delivery route, the delivery courier returns to
the cross-dock station. Once the delivery courier has arrived at
the station, the courier may then upload the data from the MFD
Client to the MFD Server 112, as shown, for example, in FIG. 4 of
the drawings.
[0089] FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a MFD Upload Procedure 400 in
accordance with the specific embodiment of the present invention.
The Procedure 400 of FIG. 4 may be initiated for each delivery
courier returning to a station after completing his or her delivery
run (e.g., 402). The delivery courier then activates the MFD Client
to establish (404) a connection with the MFD Server 112. As stated
previously, the connection with the MFD Server may be accomplished
using a wired interface or, alternatively, a wireless interface.
Once the connection with the MFD Server is established, data
captured and/or generated by the MFD Client during the delivery run
is uploaded (406) from the MFD Client to the MFD Server. According
to at least one embodiment, the data which is uploaded to the MFD
Server may include adjustment data relating to any adjustments or
customer service transactions processed by the MFD Client. The
uploaded MFD data may also include customer signature data, time
stamp data, reason code data, etc. Once the MFD Server has received
the uploaded data from the MFD Client, the MFD Server processes the
received data, and stores the process data in the Webstore Database
131 as shown, for example, in FIG. 5 of the drawings.
[0090] According to a specific implementation, each MFD Client may
be configured to communicate via a wireless communication system
with the MFD Server while the delivery courier is making his or her
delivery run to the customer sites. For example, the MFD Client may
include a radio transponder which communicates with a radio
transceiver for communicating with the MFD Server. In this
embodiment, it is possible for the MFD Client to immediately
transmit to the MFD Server any desired data which the MFD Client
captures and/or generates while in the field. For example, the MFD
Client may transmit the arrival and departure times of the delivery
courier at specific customer stops in real-time. Using this
information, a dispatch operator at the cross-dock station is able
to automatically track the status of each delivery courier in the
field. Further, according to a specific embodiment, when the
communication link between the MFD Client and the MFD Server is
broken, the MFD Client is able to store all processed data which it
collects and/or generates in the field and subsequently transmit,
via a batched process, the stored data to the MFD Server when the
communication link to the MFD Server is re-established. Further, it
will be appreciated that the MFD Client may be configured to fully
perform all functions and operations at times when the MFD Client
is unable to communicate with the MFD Server.
[0091] FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of various data flows which
occur between an MFD Client 106a, an MFD Server 112, and a Webstore
Database 131, in accordance with a specific embodiment of the
present invention. A first portion of the data flows (510) may be
associated with the MFD Download Procedure 200 of FIG. 2. A second
portion of the data flows (520) may be associated with the MFD
Upload Procedure 400 of FIG. 4.
[0092] Referring to FIG. 5, at (1) the MFD Client 106a transmits
login data to the MFD Server 112. Once the MFD Client login data is
received at the MFD Server, the MFD Server then retrieves login
authentication data from the Webstore Database 131 in order to
authenticate the login data received from the MFD Client 106a. The
MFD Server then transmits (5) a response to the MFD Client as to
whether the login request has been approved or denied. Assuming
that the login request from the MFD Client has been approved, the
MFD Client may then transmit a route ID (corresponding to the route
of the delivery courier using the MFD Client 106a) in order to
retrieve MFD data relating to the specific route corresponding to
the route ID. If the delivery courier is not able to provide the
route ID corresponding to his or her assigned delivery route, the
courier may access a route list which includes all route IDs for
one or more specific cross-dock stations via the MFD Client. The
MFD Client then transmits (7) a request to the MFD Server to
retrieve the route list information. When this request is received
at the MFD Server, the MFD Server accesses (9) the Webstore
Database (131) to retrieve the requested route list data, and then
forwards (11) the retrieved data to the MFD Client. Once the
delivery courier has entered the desired route ID into the MFD
Client, the MFD Client transmits (13) a request to the MFD Server
to download MFD data corresponding to the specified route ID. When
the MFD Server receives the download request, it retrieves (15) the
appropriate customer order history and route data (15) from the
Webstore Database (131), and transmits (17) the route data history,
customer order history data, and global data to the MFD Client
where it is stored. According to a specific embodiment, the global
data may include, for example, reason codes with corresponding
descriptions, coupon codes, tote deposit values, late delivery
credit values, re-delivery fee values, etc.
[0093] As shown in the MFD Upload Procedure 400 of FIG. 4, when the
delivery courier returns to the station, all data processed by the
MFD Client may be uploaded to the MFD Server. This is shown at 19
of FIG. 5, which illustrates an MFD Client 106a uploading data to
MFD Server 112. After the uploaded data has been received at the
MFD Server, the MFD Server processes the received data, and
transmits its processed data to the Webstore Database 131. For
example, the MFD Server may apply (21) the uploaded adjustment data
to the appropriate customer orders and store this information on
the Webstore Database. Additionally, the MFD Server may store or
record (23) the zero balance billing data (generated by the MFD
Client 106a) on the Webstore Database. The zero balance billing
data stored on the Webstore Database may subsequently be used by
the credit card capturing server (116, FIG. 1) for charging or
crediting appropriate customer credit card accounts. The MFD Server
may also store (25) the signature data captured by the MFD Client
device 106a. Further, the MFD Server may generate and store (27)
RMA data on the Webstore Database. The RMA data generated by the
MFD Server may be derived from the RMA data generated by the MFD
Client 106a. The RMA data which is stored on the Webstore Database
may be subsequently used by the Order Management Subsystem for
managing inventory records. Additionally, the MFD Server may store
(29) on the Webstore Database any updated tax data uploaded from
the MFD Client 106a.
[0094] It will be appreciated that the technique of the present
invention is not limited to the use of a computerized, mobile,
hand-held device such as the MFD Client described in this
application. According to at least one alternate embodiment of the
present invention, the technique of the present invention may be
implemented using a paper method whereby the various functions
normally performed by the MFD Client may be performed by the
delivery courier using a written format to record the various field
transactions which occur during the courier's delivery run.
Thereafter, when the delivery courier returns to the cross-dock
station, he or she may input the recorded field transactions (e.g.,
recorded on paper) into a computer system which is connected to a
server that is functionally similar to the MFD Server 112.
[0095] One advantage of the technique of the present invention is
that it provides a means for processing customer service requests
and/or adjustments to customer orders at the customer delivery
site. Additionally, the technique of the present invention provides
a simple and effective solution for allowing customers to return
unwanted products, without requiring that the customer package the
returned product, obtain a return authorization number, pay for
shipping charges, or other burdensome tasks associated with
conventional electronic commerce techniques. Further, unlike
conventional techniques, the customer may be provided with an
updated and finalized bill at the time of delivery which includes
all order modifications, returns, and other adjustment
transactions. In this way, the customer will be informed at the
time of delivery of all charges and/or credits for which the
customer will be billed or credited.
[0096] Although several preferred embodiments of this invention
have been described in detail herein with reference to the
accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is
not limited to these precise embodiments, and at various changes
and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art
without departing from the scope of spirit of the invention as
defined in the appended claims.
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